What CEW UK does

CEW UK (Cosmetic Executive Women UK) is a London-based not-for-profit professional membership organisation founded in 1992 as the UK chapter of the global CEW network that originated in the United States in 1954. The organisation operates under three pillars — education, recognition, and philanthropy — and serves UK beauty industry professionals across brands, retailers, formulators, manufacturers, market research, media, and adjacent service providers. Its core offering is individual membership (Full at £174 + VAT, Young Executive at £87 + VAT for those 35 and under, and Small Business at £87 + VAT for businesses with five or fewer employees) on auto-renewing annual subscriptions, augmented by awards programmes (the Achiever Awards since 2002 and the Beauty Awards since 2006), flagship events (the Future Beauty Summit, Product Demonstration Days, Meet the Retailer sessions), mentoring (the PUIG-supported Two-Way Mentoring Programme, the Caroline Neville Scholarship), the Young Executive Programme, a Job Directory in partnership with 24 Seven, and a Sustainability Hub covering ESG, certifications, and responsible beauty resources. CEW UK reports over 1,500 UK members, more than 2,500 event attendees in 2024, and 10,500+ global members across 3,500+ companies, and has raised over £300,000 for The Eve Appeal since 2010.

The underlying technology stack is conventional: a standard website CMS paired with CiviCRM for membership, event ticketing, and payment processing; there is no proprietary software, no AI/ML capability, no patents or trademarks, and no app. The revenue model is diversified across four streams — recurring membership subscriptions, one-time event participation fees, awards entry fees (with early/standard/late pricing tiers), and corporate sponsorships from major beauty brands and retailers (Google, Coty, PUIG, Sainsbury's, Boots, Chanel, Givaudan, Amazon Beauty, and others). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and event pages, with no channel intermediaries. CEW UK is led day-to-day by Managing Director Sallie Berkerey (joined 2019) under Executive President Caroline Neville MBE, with a Board of approximately 30 C-suite female leaders from across the UK beauty industry.

Name

CEW UK

Legal name

CEW UK Ltd

Website

https://cewuk.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEW UK is a not-for-profit membership organisation founded in 1992 that serves UK beauty industry professionals through annual subscriptions, awards programmes, events, mentoring, and ESG resources. It connects 1,500+ UK members within a global network of 10,500+ members across 3,500+ companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Individual memberships provide year-round access to CEW events, industry insights, mentoring, and exclusive resources. Three tiers available: Full Membership, Young Executive (35 and under), and Small Business (5 employees or less). Membership auto-renews annually.
2. Event Participation Fees: Revenue from ticket sales for industry events, awards ceremonies, product demonstration days, and networking functions. Some events are free to members with non-member tickets available for purchase.
3. Awards Entry Fees: Beauty Awards and Achiever Awards entry submissions generate revenue. Multiple entry windows with early, standard, and late entry pricing tiers.
4. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate sponsors pay for visibility at CEW events and awards programs. Sponsors include major beauty brands, retailers, and industry service providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEW UK is a not-for-profit professional membership organization that provides beauty industry professionals with year-round access to networking events, industry awards programs, mentoring initiatives, and educational resources. Its core offerings are individual membership subscriptions (Full, Young Executive, and Small Business tiers), flagship awards (CEW Achiever Awards and CEW Beauty Awards), and the annual Future Beauty Summit, all designed to support career development, industry recognition, and business growth across the UK beauty sector.

Product overview

CEW UK is a professional membership organization for the beauty industry, operating as a not-for-profit association that promotes British beauty and drives growth in the global beauty economy. The organization functions as a unified membership platform rather than a modular software product. Its core offerings include individual membership tiers (Full Membership, Young Executive Membership for ages 35 and under, and Small Business Membership for businesses with 5 or fewer employees), which provide access to a comprehensive suite of events, awards programs, mentoring, career resources, and industry insights. The flagship events include the CEW Achiever Awards (launched 2002) recognizing industry talent, the CEW Beauty Awards (launched 2006) recognizing product innovation, and the annual Future Beauty Summit exploring technology and digital innovation. Supporting programs include the Two Way Mentoring Programme (supported by PUIG), the Caroline Neville Scholarship for cosmetic science education, the CEW Young Executive Programme for developing future beauty leaders, and a Job Directory in partnership with 24 Seven. The Sustainability Hub provides resources on ESG, certifications, and responsible beauty practices. The organization also facilitates strategic partnerships such as the Breakout Beauty UK accelerator collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEW UK Membership (Full Membership) Standard individual membership tier offering access to all CEW events, industry reports, job directory, member benefits, and networking opportunities. Priced at £174.00 + £34.80 VAT (£208.80 total) per year with annual auto-renewal. Designed for beauty industry professionals across brands, retail, formulation, manufacturing, and adjacent sectors.
• Young Executive Membership Membership tier for individuals aged 35 and under, offering all Full Membership benefits plus additional Young Executive–specific events including Beauty Unlimited Breakfasts and Meet the Board sessions. Priced at £87.00 + £17.40 VAT (£104.40 total) per year. Designed for early-to-mid career beauty professionals seeking leadership development.
• Small Business Membership Membership tier for businesses with five employees or fewer, providing access to all CEW member benefits including events, networking, and brand visibility. Priced at £87.00 + £17.40 VAT (£104.40 total) per year. Designed for independent beauty brands seeking retail partnerships and industry credibility.
• CEW Achiever Awards Annual awards program recognizing outstanding talent and contributions to the beauty industry. Includes Icon Award, Special Industry Award, Achievers, Young Achiever Award in Partnership with Coty, Members' Achiever Award, and Digital Innovation Award sponsored by Google and So Post. Open for entry submissions on a paid basis with early, standard, and late entry pricing tiers.
• CEW Beauty Awards Annual awards program recognizing outstanding product innovation and creativity in the beauty industry, voted for by over 1,000 CEW members. Includes Responsible Beauty Award, Consumer Choice Awards, and the Product Demonstration Event. Brands pay entry fees with multiple entry windows.
• CEW Future Beauty Summit Annual full-day summit exploring digital innovation and technology trends shaping the beauty industry, featuring speakers from Amazon, Google, TikTok, and other industry leaders. Partners include Google, Amazon Beauty, and Tash Partners. Ticketed event open to members and non-members.
• Product Demonstration Event Annual event where beauty industry professionals discover and engage with award entries, meet brand experts, and explore sponsor showcases featuring the latest products and innovations. Allows brands to demonstrate products directly to industry voters ahead of the Beauty Awards.
• Two Way Mentoring Programme Mentoring program supported by PUIG connecting experienced beauty industry professionals with emerging talent for mutual career development and industry knowledge sharing. Free to CEW members.
• Caroline Neville Scholarship Annual scholarship providing funding for a Diploma in Cosmetic Science with the Society of Cosmetic Scientists (SCS), supporting education and career development in the beauty industry. Named in honor of Executive President Caroline Neville MBE.
• CEW Young Executive Programme Career development program launched in 2017 aimed at developing the careers of the future generation of beauty leaders. Includes Beauty Unlimited Breakfast events and exclusive networking opportunities with senior beauty industry figures.
• Meet the Board Sessions Exclusive sessions for Young Executive members offering opportunities to connect with CEW's Board of approximately 30 C-suite female leaders and senior figures from across the beauty industry. Free for Young Executive members.
• Beauty Unlimited Breakfast Series Young Executive networking event series featuring conversations with industry leaders about careers and trends in beauty. Available as part of the Young Executive membership.
• CEW x Breakout Beauty Partnership Partnership program with Breakout Beauty UK accelerator supporting discovery and scaling of UK beauty brands through retail access (Boots), commercial mentorship, and industry expertise. 2026 cohort receives a prize package worth over £500,000 for the Grand Prize winner.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £300,000 donated to The Eve Appeal since 2010, funding research into gynaecological cancers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• So PostcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026So Post sponsors the CEW Digital Innovation Award, supporting recognition of digital innovation in the beauty industry. So Post provides digital product sampling platforms for experiential marketing.
• Breakout Beauty UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CEW UK partners with Breakout Beauty UK, a high-impact accelerator for UK beauty brands. The 2026 cohort receives support including retail access through Boots, commercial mentorship, and a prize package worth over £500,000 for the Grand Prize winner.
• Cosmoprof Worldwide BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CEW UK is a main partner of CosmoTalks at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026. The event brings together the global beauty industry with over 3,000 exhibitors and 250,000+ professionals from 150+ countries.
• Tones of BeautycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CEW UK is proud partner of Tones of Beauty 2026, the beauty trade event dedicated to celebrating diversity, inclusion and innovation. CEW hosts a panel session on inclusivity in packaging, retail and product design.
• Amazon BeautycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Amazon Beauty partners with CEW on the Future Beauty Summit, exploring digital transformation, AI, consumer behaviour, and brand growth in the beauty industry.
• Tash PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Tash Partners partners with CEW on the Future Beauty Summit. Tash Courtenay-Smith, Founder, speaks on topics including building brands after virality and scaling growth infrastructure.
• Givaudan Active BeautycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Givaudan Active Beauty sponsors CEW's Responsible Beauty Award and has been a longstanding supporter of CEW events. Maxine Canham, Global Key Account Director, serves on the CEW Board.
• NielsenIQcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026NielsenIQ partners with CEW on insights events, providing data on beauty consumer trends and market dynamics. Claire Marty, VP Global Beauty Vertical, speaks at CEW Cosmoprof panel.
• Sainsbury'scoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sainsbury's is a headline sponsor of the CEW Beauty Awards and partners on 'Meet The Retailer' events. Alex Jefferson, Category Director Health Beauty & Wellness, serves on the CEW Board.
• Boots UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Boots UK partners with CEW through the Breakout Beauty accelerator, offering retail listing opportunities. Alice Rafferty, Director of Beauty Premium Beauty Salon Hair & Cosmetics, serves on the CEW Board.
• CotycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Coty partners with CEW UK on the Young Achiever Award, supporting recognition of rising stars in the beauty industry. Lauren McKenna, VP Trade Marketing Coty UK&I, serves on the CEW Board.
• PUIGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022PUIG supports CEW UK's Two-Way Mentoring Programme, which launched in 2022. The programme connects experienced beauty professionals with emerging talent for mutual career development and industry knowledge sharing.
• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Google has sponsored the CEW Digital Innovation Award for 8 consecutive years, seeking businesses that innovate in digital technology to meet modern beauty consumer expectations. Also partners on the Future Beauty Summit.
• The Eve AppealcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010CEW UK has partnered with The Eve Appeal since 2010, the leading UK charity focused on prevention and early detection of all five gynaecological cancers. CEW has donated over £300,000 to fund research and supported the Get Lippy campaign to raise awareness and vital funds for women's health.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Beauty Independent: A digital media and community platform serving indie beauty brand founders with news, educational content, and networking. It overlaps with CEW UK's small-business and Young Executive audiences, especially around the Breakout Beauty accelerator cohort.
• Independent Beauty Association (IBA): A US-based trade association focused on independent beauty brands, providing advocacy, education, and networking for indie beauty founders. It overlaps with CEW UK's Small Business Membership tier and Breakout Beauty accelerator activities.

Others

• Cosmetics Business (HPC Media): A leading B2B media brand covering the global cosmetics industry with news, reports, and events. It serves the same beauty-industry professional audience as CEW UK and competes for attention and sponsorship dollars, though as a media business rather than a membership community.

Direct peers

• Pure Beauty Awards: A UK beauty product awards program that directly competes with CEW UK's Beauty Awards for brand entry fees, voter engagement, and retail buyer attention. Both programs target the same product innovation and consumer-recognition categories.
• British Beauty Council: A UK-based industry body that promotes and represents the British beauty sector through advocacy, events, awards, and educational programming. It competes for the same audience of beauty industry professionals and brand partners as CEW UK.
• Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) US: The original CEW chapter, founded in 1954 in the USA, operates the same membership, events, and awards model for US beauty industry professionals. As the parent of the global CEW network that CEW UK belongs to, it is the most structurally and operationally comparable peer.
• CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association): The UK trade association representing cosmetics, toiletry, and perfumery companies, providing regulatory affairs, advocacy, and industry representation. It addresses the same UK beauty industry stakeholder set as CEW UK but with a trade-association rather than membership-community model.
• Society of Cosmetic Scientists (SCS): The UK professional body for cosmetic scientists, hosting educational events, lectures, and the Diploma in Cosmetic Science (which CEW UK's Caroline Neville Scholarship supports). It targets an overlapping audience of beauty industry technical professionals.
• Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) France: CEW France, founded in 1986 by Françoise Montenay of Chanel, runs the same membership, awards, and events model for the French beauty industry. It is a sister chapter within the global CEW network and the closest international analog to CEW UK.

Broad incumbents

• Cosmetics Europe: The European-level trade association for the cosmetics and personal care industry, representing the sector to EU regulators and policymakers. It addresses a broader industry remit than CEW UK but competes for the same corporate member and sponsor relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cew-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/cew_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEW UK